This comes a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued orders on Friday, restricting the bursting of crackers to just three hours on Diwali. The orders were issued by Mohali Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate Gurpreet Kaur Sapra.

THE MOHALI district administration on Saturday issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC banning the bursting of crackers before and after Diwali and instructing people that the display of fireworks would only be allowed between 6.30 pm and 9.30 pm. This comes a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued orders on Friday, restricting the bursting of crackers to just three hours on Diwali. The orders were issued by Mohali Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate Gurpreet Kaur Sapra.

Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Administration has also starting chalking out how to implement the High Court order in Chandigarh. After recommending the issuance of prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC to the office of Deputy Commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nilambri Vijay Jagdale on Saturday held a series of meetings with the officials of Chandigarh Police, formulating a strategy on how to implement the court orders.

The meetings were held with all Subdivisional Police Officers and 16 station house officers (SHOs). SSP Jagdale has also decided to depute around 1,800 police personnel throughout Chandigarh from October 17, two days ahead of before Diwali, to October 20. Diwali falls on October 19. “We are bound to implement the HC orders. Though joint teams from the side of the UT administration, including police officers, were formed, I have asked the DC to issue formal prohibitory orders in this regard. Special meetings were held in view of the High Court orders. Since prohibitory orders have been issued, we will not hesitate to register FIRs against the violators of HC orders,” Jagdale told Chandigarh Newsline.

The SSP, who chaired two meetings at the Sector 9 police headquarters, said, “Instructions have been issued to all the SHOs and other police officers to brief all the police personnel about the orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court.” UT DC Ajit Balaji Joshi was not available for comment. Home Secretary Anurag Agarwal said, “We are committed to following the orders of the high court. Necessary steps are being taken.”

In view of neighbouring city Panchkula, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, Manbir Singh, asserted, “We are in the process of issuing orders under Section 144 CrPC. The orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to burst crackers on the day of Diwali between 6.30 pm and 9.30 pm will be strictly implemented.”